Monthly Archives: February 2016

Feb 19 2016

Robin: Son of Batman 9

robin son of batman 9

Today, Spencer and Michael are discussing Robin: Son of Batman 9, originally released February 17th, 2016.

Spencer: Up until yesterday, I didn’t know that Robin: Son of Batman 9 was Patrick Gleason’s final issue as writer and penciller on the title. With the suddenness of the news — and the circumstances surrounding Gleason’s departure still unknown — it’s hard to tell whether this issue was meant to serve as the finale to his run, or was originally planned as the beginning of something more. Either way, it highlights Gleason’s greatest strengths as a creator, but a few of his more notable weaknesses as well. Continue reading →

Feb 18 2016

Archie 6

Alternating Currents: Archie 6, Drew and Taylor

Today, Drew and Taylor are discussing Archie 6, originally released February 17th, 2016.

Drew: My biggest frustration in dealing with teens is their lack of perspective. That’s probably my biggest frustration in dealing with adults, too, but teens are notorious for blowing things out of proportion. That tendency is exactly what makes teen dramas so volatile — everything is high-stakes for teens — but it’s easy for that volatility to alienate adult readers who know this could all be resolved if any of the characters just sat down to talk with one another. It’s important, then, to occasionally re-ground the stakes in a teen drama, giving readers of any age a relatable touchstone in between the more elaborate flights of fancy. That’s exactly what we get in Archie 6, as a miniature health emergency reminds everyone of what’s really important. Continue reading →

Feb 17 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 2/10/16

round up

Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw 9, Jem and the Holograms Valentine’s Day Special 2016, Jughead 4, Last Sons of America 3, Limbo 4, and Manhattan Projects: The Sun Beyond the Stars 4.
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Feb 17 2016

DC Round-Up Comics Released 2/10/16

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How many Batman books is too many Batman books? Depending on who you ask there ain’t no such thing! We try to stay up on what’s going on at DC, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of DC Comics. Today, we’re discussing Batman and Robin Eternal 19, Batman/Superman 29, Gotham Academy 15, New Suicide Squad 17, and Starfire 9.

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Feb 16 2016

Ms. Marvel 4

ms marvel 4

Today, Taylor and Ryan M. are discussing the Ms. Marvel 4, originally released February 10th, 2016.

Taylor: The average high schooler is incredibly busy. Thinking back on my own time in high school I get exhausted for my past self when I consider all of the various activities I was committed to. There was band, homework, college applications, ACT/SATs, friends, boy scouts, and family which I had to somehow make time for. Looking back on it, it’s nothing short of a miracle that I was able to survive high school let alone be successful in any of these endeavors. But for all that activity, at least I wasn’t also trying to be a superhero. Kamala Khan, however, isn’t so lucky, and issue 4 of Ms. Marvel shows us how hard it is to be a teenager and a superhero at the same time. Continue reading →

Feb 16 2016

Batman 49

batman 49

Today, Spencer and Michael are discussing Batman 49, originally released February 10th, 2016.

Spencer: One of the concepts that’s made Batman such a popular hero for the past 75 years is the idea that anybody could become Batman. None of us are alien refugees or Amazon princesses, none of us can expect to be struck by Speed Force lightning or bitten by a radioactive spider (and survive, at least), but with the right training, resources, and determination, anyone could become Batman; and sure, most of us don’t have access to the seemingly unlimited wealth, technology, or training Bruce Wayne had, but they’re at least goals that someone living in our real world could feasibly aspire to achieve. In Batman 49, though, Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette make all those qualifications — and, indeed, the very possibility of anyone besides Bruce Wayne ever truly becoming Batman — moot. Being Batman is about more than gear or training or money. Becoming Batman requires great, tragic sacrifice; it involves dying, whether figuratively or literally. Continue reading →

Feb 16 2016

Injection 7

Alternating Currents: Injection 7, Ryan and Drew

Today, Ryan D. and Drew are discussing Injection 7, originally released February 10th, 2016.

Ryan D: The iconic novel Moby-Dick is peculiar in two specific ways. Firstly, for such an important example of turn-of-the-century literature which spawned many films based off of it and sits as a part of our literary lexicon, a surprising amount of people have not read it, which I attribute to its length (927 pages in the first edition, 635 in the US release) and the abundance of dry non-narrative chapters dedicated to things like an exhaustive cataloging of ships. Secondly, and more relevant to this review, is the idea that though the presence of the eponymous white whale is felt constantly, it does not actually appear until the last three chapters. I would hazard that the influence of this affects much of our modern media, happily adopted by horror films, especially; we never get a full view of the shark in Jaws until the climax, and the same can be said about the organism from Alien. This same feeling of looming danger and presence pervades Injection 7, and this feeling of tension makes this arc wonderful to read. Continue reading →

Feb 15 2016

Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 2/10/16

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We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, (especially when All of these things are New) but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing All-New Wolverine 5, All-New Hawkeye 4, Deadpool 7, Old Man Logan 2, Silk 4, Spider-Gwen 5, Ultimates 4, and Weirdworld 3.

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Feb 15 2016

Black Canary 8

black canary 8

Today, Mark and Spencer are discussing Black Canary 8, originally released February 10th, 2016.

Mark: One of the privileges of adulthood is the opportunity to choose your family. Even if you love your immediate family, the family that raised you, as you grow older and move away you build another sort of family — a family comprised of friends, romantic partners, mentors, work colleagues, and so forth. This new family is your social circle, the ones your rely on on a day-to-day basis as an adult. No matter your childhood, this chosen family is an essential part of being an adult, of being independent.

The great gift and the great tragedy of life is that people can flit in and out of our lives seemingly at a whim. I moved to LA with no job and no friends, but have lucked into the most wonderful circle of human beings imaginable. Still, some friends with whom I was once super close have become more like acquaintances, and through no fault of either party. What can you do? Life moves you in one direction, and your friend in another. So even in adulthood, as much as we choose our family, life still finds a way to intervene. Continue reading →

Feb 12 2016

Darth Vader 16

darth vader 16

Today, Michael and Taylor are describing Darth Vader 16, originally released February 10th, 2016.

Michael: I think that Darth Vader is the favorite among the other Star Wars titles (at least at Retcon Punch) because it is chock-full of dramatic moments and nuanced characters. The power struggles and political battles of Darth Vader are somewhat reminiscent to a show like House of Cards. Darth Vader 16 is kind of a lull in the ongoing narrative that focuses on the particulars of the power struggles that Vader encounters.

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